Oh What a Feeling

Oh What a Feeling!

Why do we do things?  What motivates us?  What is our reward?  I started my mission with the single Marine's Bible that I got for Sergeant Jacob Fuller when he was going to Iraq, when he was actually only a private.  Later Jacob told us of how he used that Bible, when his unit became separated (sand storms) and he used it to lead his men in prayers and meditation in the field.  Later, his Aunt Terry told me how he had shown them the Bible after he returned, safe and alive.  Well used, well traveled, the Bible was roughed up, with sweat stains deeply embedded in the cover, the mysterious coppery colored corner, worn, slightly torn, obviously blood, and an unconfirmed story that it was from a marine Jacob gave his best last rites to on the battle field.

Shortly after, I went to meet the Marine recruiter, Sergeant Ocasio and I made a verbal commitment to him that I would provide 100 Marine's Bibles to him to give to his new marines.  I asked him to be patient as I could buy only about five a month, and now and then, I would have a chance to buy a few more.  I had decided I would give 100 to the marines and then I would purchase 100 for the soldiers who officed just next door, but a funny thing happened.  One day, I stopped at Army Recruitment to leave five Marine's Bibles for the marines because no one was home at the Marines.  The army, the soldier, let me leave them there for the marines and I slowly built a relationship with the soldiers, so instead of waiting until that 100 commitment was complete, I stretched and began to provide Bibles for both the soldiers and marines.

I kept a detailed record of how many Bibles I purchased, how many went to each branch, for by then I was giving them to every branch:  The Marine's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, The Coastguard Man's Bible (only one so far).  When I began, I paid full list price for each Bible, which was then around $26.47.  As Melvin, my supplier looked at how many Bibles we had purchased, by then several hundred, he volunteered a 10% discount to me, reducing our price to about $24.47, two dollars meaning for each five now, we could buy one more, a blessing to us, a benefit to one more marine, or soldier.

Melvin had a printing machine and would, without cost, print the name of its owner on the Bible, as he had done for me on my own Sailor's Bible (yes, I am an old sailor).  The problem was that we did not know the name of the young man, or woman, who would be receiving the Bible and I almost said, "No, let's skip that."  Well, I did say that, but then the idea struck me of imprinting them with the words "To a marine".  And so, each one, unless we did know the name, was printed with "To a Marine" on the cover.

My detailed list was lost due to a virus sent to my computer which destroyed my files and photographs, a theft I personally see it, but I knew how many Bibles total we had given, so I just add to that last now and don't worry about the details.

People mean well, and they mean to say thank you, we all do, but almost all of us are guilty of just not getting it done, but I do get stories which say "Thank you", not directly, but from the sales clerks in Ruth's Christian Book Store, my supplier for the Holman Military Bibles.

Over time, our distribution process has changed and currently, we pay ahead for about twenty-five Bibles and try to keep them in stock in the bookstore, so a veteran or active military person just gets a surprise when they try to pay for the Bible, it's been paid for.

These are where the stories come in, where I receive my reward.  The women who work there, Rhonda, Suzi, Paula, Rachel, Kerri, pass them on to me.

And some are so good that they leave me with a wonderful feeling of having accomplished some small thing, of having helped another human being, and oh! what a feeling it is.

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

One Thousand Bibles

One Thousand Bibles

No, we have not yet reached one thousand Bibles given, but we are close and have that goal in sight.  To date, May 15, 2014, we have given 916 Holman Military Bibles.

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When I began to write this segment, we had given 916 Bibles and then a generous and anonymous donor gave us enough funding to purchase 250 Bibles which brought our total to 1166, I purchased an additional four Bibles to bring the total to 1,170 and then I funded 30 more Bibles to reach 1,200.  Our regular monthly donor funded five Bibles so we were able to exceed our goal of 1,000 Bibles, exceed it by a good measure reaching 1,205 and our new goal is now 1,300 Bibles.  I hope to make two package purchases of 25 Bibles later to reach about 1,275 so we probably won't achieve our 1,300 goal until 2015.

My mission is to give Holman Military Branch Bibles to our military and veterans.  I pay for them from my earnings and Social Security income so I can buy them only when I have funds.  I give about 25 bibles a year.  They are the Marine's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, etc.  I began my project in 2005 and as of June, 2014, we have given 1,205 Bibles.

I used to have the language as my project but I felt mission was a more powerful word, and project seems to have a finite point to finish and I don't think I can ever finish, ever find a stopping point, so mission became a better word choice.

I write this, and several other blogs, but sometimes I just get behind and that's what happened here so I failed to write for some time.  And sometimes, other than numbers changing, there may not be that much to say.  But again, there are the stories I get, and those should be saved for a page just on that.  This one was just really about exceeding our goal of 1,000 Bibles given.

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne
June 13, 2014

Our Next Goal 800 Bibles

Our Next Goal: 800 Bibles

We have made two purchases in recent days of Bibles, purchasing five Bibles each time.  We have now given 737 Bibles.  These have been the Marine's, Soldier's, Sailors, Airmen's, Coastguard and several to Fire Fighters and Law Enforcement. Natalie sells the Bibles to us for the price of $19.97 each, due to my consistency with my supplier, which is now Ruth's Christian Book Store.  If we did a number, that is $19.97 times 737, you can quickly see that we have invested $14717.89.  But our expense has exceeded that because we have only been getting our Bibles at $19.97 for the past year.  Before that, we had paid as high as $26.95 and then we received a discount to $24.65, all from our original supplier.  We used to have a detailed spreadsheet of our expenses in Microsoft Excel but someone sent a virus past all of my defenses and destroyed that so I had to start over.  Fortunately, I did keep another record but without the details. I knew how many we had given so I could just start there and add to it.  We have given several hundred since then.  So, the dollar number above is an estimate but at least is the minimum amount we have spent on Bibles.

I began to write this earlier and did not finish it at the time.  I almost began from scratch right now, but then I decided to keep the 737 and just update our information.  Now, December 10, 2013, we have increased our total Bibles purchased and donated to 775 Bibles.  I had to stretch and make some other sacrifices to do that but we were able to do so.

Someone said that we had spent enough to make a car payment.  We have spent enough to have bought a car.  It isn't a complaint, it's a feeling of joy, of doing something for people I don't know.  I am proud of our small mission and how much it has accomplished.  Let us go back and use that same $19.97 multiplied times the now 775 Bibles and the total dollar number is $15,476.45; then remember that the actual dollar amount exceeds that.  When we say that amount has been spent on Bibles, it is true, for any other costs,  such as mailing, driving to deliver Bibles, thank you cards, all other expenditures are just out of my pocket.  We count only the money spent on Bibles.

I try to maintain about $200.00 in the account used for buying Bibles but I looked and had just over $390.00 in the account, so I moved $390.00 to my active account, added $109.00 to that and paid for an additional 25 Military Bibles making our total donated now 800, which was the goal we hoped to reach sometime in 2014.  Well, today, December 12, 2013, we reached 800 Bibles, which also makes our expenditure exceed $16,000.

Many will benefit from this for the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas

God bless the women and men of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

Stephen

What One Great Thing?

What One Great Thing?

It is a question that Bryan Tracy asks on his audio program, "The Psychology of Success."  Here is the complete question:  "What one great thing would you accomplish if you knew you could not fail?  It's not an easy question and requires thought, for someone like I am.  Maybe others, even many, have a quick and ready answer but I wanted to think mine out.  I began working from goals many years ago, in 1987 in fact.  I had set some goals before, and accomplished a number of them.

For example, when I was seventeen and in love and had a terribly crashed romance with my girlfriend, after I struggled with so many things, I quit school and enlisted in the United States Navy.  I was barely seventeen having my birthday in February and enlisting in March.  I went through Boot Camp in San Diego, then Radar "A" School in San Francisco and then boarded my ship, the USS Point Defiance (LSD-31) in December of 1961.  After I left the navy, I had a goal of finishing high school, which I did, in 1967, five years after my graduating class of 1962.  I was married, had a new son and a low paying, hard working job as a truck driver and cylinder gas delivery person.  Then I got a job with Phillips Petroleum Company (after my diploma) and I worked there for 33 1/2 years.  I started college when I was 29 and working for Phillips and as I went along in my career, I acquired college hours, got a better job, more hours, better job, etc.  So I had goals but I never grasped the power of goals until I began to study under Zig Ziglar.  What were my goals?  Well, too many to list here but let me highlight a few.  I set a goal to personally meet Zig, and did.  In fact, I am listed in his book, "Over theTop" on page 106, as Stephen Payne from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  I set a goal to meet Stephen Covey, author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and met him.  Then it was to meet Tom Hopkins; did: Meet Bryan Tracy; did.  I set a goal to learn Spanish.  I later became a Spanish interpreter and translator, worked in two jobs as an interpreter, taught Spanish, then I learned French, Italian, German, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and now I am busily learning Polish and I can speak, read and write Polish.  So, you can see why I had to think, "What one great thing?"

Years ago, I wrote out my personal mission statement, which is long, but the nutshell version is this: My mission is to learn, teach and give.  I do that.  I love learning and I've even been called The Learning Machine; I can't help teaching as it's in my nature and I give.  I give books.  I have given over 200 copies of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, around one hundred copies of Joyce Hifler's book, "The Cherokee Feast of Days," a number of "The Magic of Thinking Big" and many other books.  Then I began to give the Marine's Bible to marines I could meet and find.  I began to give the Soldier's Bible, and as of this week, we have given 640 of the Holman Military Bibles.

Could I reach 1,000?  Yes, of course, as we are not so far from that.  We will reach 700 Bibles by the end of 2013 and then next year, more, so 1,000 is hardly a challenge then.  What one great thing?  I decided to set my goal as 10,000 Bibles to give and then some of the things Bryan said came back to me.  What one great thing would you accomplish if you KNEW you could not fail?  

My goal is to give 100,000 Holman Christian Standard Bibles to the men and women of our armed services.  That has now become my one great thing.  As some athletes have said, you miss all of the shots you don't take; as Jelly Bean Jones said, "The girl you don't ask out ain't going with you anyway."  So, I set a high goal, one so high I can not yet see it, but it's there now, carved in ink, and I'm on my way to it.

The photograph I chose?  Yes, that is I, in the tandem jump from 10,000 feet with Andy Beck, my jump master and I had a wonderful time.  I am 69 years of age now and made my first jump.  I did it to deal with my fear of height and it has worked pretty well so far.  It's part of my processes, to learn, to teach, and to give.  

We did a free fall for 38 seconds and it didn't feel like we were moving.  We hung in the air as we talked and I looked all around me, down, sideways, up, and I loved the feeling of sailing through the air, even downward.  Once the parachute opened, Andy taught me how to drive and let me go left, right, even spin us, and then we were down, landing softly, and I feel different today, a week and days since I went out of the airplane.  Jumping was a goal but not my one great thing.  But I know now what my one great thing is, to give 100,000 Bibles, and I cannot fail.

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

Meeting Officer Barnes

Meeting Officer Barnes

Officer Barnes is a police officer, a sergeant, with the Owasso, Oklahoma Police Department.  I was able to meet him last week because I was going too fast in the 35 MPH zone.  I saw his car and the lights come on as I had passed him and I was pretty sure that I was his target so I had begun to look for a safe place to pull off of 86th Street (westward bound) and I found one at the Mingo intersection.  He asked me, "Do you know why I stopped you?"  I said, "I assume I was going too fast."  He replied, "I had you at 41 in a 35 mph."  He asked to see my driver's license and I produced it for him.  He saw, recently added too, my status as a veteran and he thanked me for my service.  He verified my insurance and then he let me go with a verbal warning.  My tag on my Chevrolet HHR is a US Navy tag, so he saw that, and my Navy jacket.  We were talking a bit and I asked him if he had been in the service.  He said he not been but his wife was in the US Army reserve as a Chief Warrant Officer.  I explained our Bible program and offered one to his wife.  At the moment, I had 55 Soldier's Bibles in the back of the car, but all of them had been committed to the 45th Infantry Brigade in Norman, Oklahoma and they were waiting to be picked up by Sergeant Joseph Baker as soon as possible.  We had had some weather that prevented our connecting.

I told Sergeant Barnes that I would have her name printed on her Bible and I did as soon as I could, which was today.  On my trip to Owasso to have my HHR serviced, I stopped at the Owasso Police Department, a beautiful building, and left a Law Enforcement Bible for Sergeant Barnes, with his name printed on the cover.  I was able to get her name for the printing and when I returned to Tulsa this evening for Friday dinner, I again passed through Owasso and left her Bible there for him to pick up.

So, a chance encounter resulted in our placing two Bibles, one a Soldier's Bible and one a Law Enforcement Bible so, in a Forrest Gump moment, "Life is like a box of choc-o-lates.." I never quite know where a moment is going to lead me; but I always ask.  Since we began our program in 2005, we have now placed 518 of the Holman Christian Standard Bibles, with our military, police and fire.  

It is a small mission but one we have undertaken.  I can not provide these Bibles to every marine, soldier, sailor, coastguardsman, etc.  but I can to some.  I'm reminded of the story of the starfish and the little boy who was picking them up and casting them back to the sea in an attempt to save their lives.  An older man walked by and asked him what he was doing.  The boy explained and the man replied, "You can't possibly make a difference!  There are thousands of them on this beach."  The boy replied, as he tossed one into the sea, "Made a difference to that one!"

Maybe I make a difference to one soldier too.  

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

500 Bibles

50 Holman Soldier's Bibles

It happens, for various reasons, that I get behind on this journal.  All of this, of course, is written and posted via a computer and I usually use a PC but, in September, my PC went to the doctor for a serious virus infection and it had to be completely wiped and all data and the programs had to be restored.  One comment on that.  These people who write and send viruses are mean; it's just mean and uncalled for; it's theft as they steal from us our ideas and our work.

All of that has to do with this; I keep the records for the Bibles we have given on my computer using Microsoft Excel and I have not yet got all of the programs restored.  So, I have been keeping records with just a notepad.  Our goal was to increase our purchase and donations up to five hundred of the Bibles this calendar year, 2013.  We had some monetary donations to us last year and as I looked at our account, I saw that we could complete a purchase of fifty Bibles and still have a small operating fund left in the account.  Our goal is to provide Bibles, not keep cash on hand, so generally, we are happy with about $200 maintained in the account.

We had dinner at Garfield's last evening, February 3, and after that, I walked over to nearby Ruth's Christian Book Store, ordered and paid for fifty Soldier's Bibles.  I took ten from the store's stock and forty will be on the way to me in a few days.

As mentioned in previous posts, these are Holman Christian Standard Bibles (HCSB), and they are in the series of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmans Bibles.  Most of those we have given have been the Soldier's Bible and the Marine's Bible but we have given of each in the series, plus a few for police and fire.  More than one hundred of the Bibles have been the Marine's Bible and now over two hundred have been Soldier's Bibles.  I do not have the exact figures on that right now.  The Bibles now cost me $19.99 with the discount that my supplier gives me so the fifty we purchased yesterday cost $999.50.  These is the second time we have been able to purchase fifty at one time.  The last purchased fifty were shipped directly to the 75th Ranger Regiment at an undisclosed location over there.

Driving me to make the purchase now was my goal to reach 500 Bibles in 2013 and I'm pleased that we have done that.  Pleased is understated; I am overjoyed to have reached the goal of 500.  Note that it now costs $19.99, but in the past, before I was offered any discounts, I was paying as much as $26.00 per Bible and then it was lowered to $24.00.  Simple multiplication of $19.99 times 500 would show you an expenditure of $9,995.00 and then when you add the many Bibles that we purchased at the higher prices, you can quickly see that we have exceeded $10,000.  It is not about the amount of the dollar, it is about the quality of the Bible and these are good Bibles and I've been proud to give them to our service women and men.

I wish to thank the donors we have had and with their permission, I would identify them, but I do not yet have permission.

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

Chance Encounters to Bibles

It is September 17, 2012 and I have failed to make the updates here that I planned.  And, today, I do not yet have a photograph that I would like to post with the page but I will find one soon and update this page with it.  Chance encounters sometimes turn in to opportunities to give a Bible to one of our service men or women.

I have been working with Jay and Susan Hurt and others to bring about the 50th reunion for my Pawhuska High School class of 1962 and as we went along, I spent small sums of money on it.  I bought stamps, a file for record keeping, a plastic box to hold envelopes, envelopes, business cards, several things along that line. And I had intended all along to leave what I spent on the table for the reunion so that proceeds would be donated to the Pawhuska Educational Trust Fund (and I may have its title incorrect).  Last week, the Hurts insisted on settling money with me and returned to me $280.00 which I tried to get them to keep but, well, they were very insistent and said that I could use the money for my vacation to Santa Fe.  I did not feel right keeping the money as it was never my intention.  So, I decided to invest in Bibles.  I had $280.00 plus $20.00 that John Main had paid me for a few photographs I had printed of him, and I told him I could not charge him, a long time friend of so many years, but I would accept a donation for Bibles.  With that, I had $300.00 plus the donation that a gentleman in Tulsa makes plus my $100.00 so we soon had $500.00.  I took the money to my financial organization and deposited it in the account for Bibles.  When I specified the account, the young lady waiting on me asked, politely, "May I ask, (raising her brow), do you give Bibles to the military?"  "Yes," I replied, "We give military Bibles to Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, the whole smear across the board."  She then told me that she knew of a unit in Afghanistan who would like to receive Bibles.  I got her name, e-mail and told her how to find my blog here on the Bibles and I went to Ruth's Christian Book store up the road in the Washington Park Mall.  I ordered thirty Soldier's Bibles with the intent to take them to the larger recruiting station in Tulsa, as I have done now for some seventy Bibles.  I was just thinking that this delivery would make one hundred Bibles delivered to that office.  The soldier I had just met, Jessica Beach, weighed on my thoughts, and through our e-mails, I got her name correctly, took one of the Soldier's Bibles I had at home back to Ruth's and asked for Jessica's name to be printed on it.  I delivered it to her in the late morning and then confirmed a few things we had talked about with the unit she asked me to ship to.  At this writing, we plan to divert this order of thirty to that unit.  Yes, there will be a few more complications than just driving sixty miles to deliver them, but I hope the station has enough Bibles for a while to allow me to send this order to the unit.  I have a few more e-mails to exchange with Jessica and the sergeant but then they will be on their way where I know they will be received well.

See how a chance encounter with someone turned out to be good?

Stephen

Blue Star Mothers Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Anita Scaler (seated) and Della Wilson (standing)
Washington Park Mall, August 4, 2012

Blue Star Mothers Bartlesville, Oklahoma

I like to use something visual with my writing and my original plan for this page was to be photographs of the new edition of the Holman Military Branch Bibles.  I bought three just for photographs, but I have not yet made the photographs.  These three Bibles will be given away to a Soldier, an Airman and a Marine as soon as I have completed photographs of them for this blog.

I have purchased Bibles from Living Word Store in Washington Park Mall, in Bartlesville, owned by Melvin Nichols, for about four or five years now.  Melvin has retired and closed the store in February but he continued to fill my needs from his home until the recent opening of Ruth's Christian Store, also in the mall but at a different location.  On Saturday, August 4, we purchased five Soldier's Bibles and gave them to the women of the Blue Star Mothers seen in this photograph to give to any soldier, wife of a soldier, mom of a soldier, who came by and asked about the Bible since one was displayed prominently in the center of the exhibit.  By the end of the day, four of the Bibles had found homes.  The Blue Star Mothers have home made items which they sell at the monthly exhibit for fund raising.  I asked them to just say that the Bibles were paid for and to take it to Ruth's for imprinting of the soldier's name on the Bible.  I also arranged for five military Bibles to be paid for and kept in the store.  It was just a blanket payment for any military Bible on the shelf so that a dependent could pick it up, take it over to the cashier, and then be told that her or his Bible had been paid for.  I was pleased to learn today that four Bibles were taken.  I don't know the branch or who took them; I only know that it was a blessing to several of them.  In fact, the lady who waited on me today, when I bought an Airman's Bible for my young cousin serving in Japan, whom I have not yet met, told me that a young wife had told her that she wanted to get a Bible for her army husband but could not afford it.  Ellie told the young wife, "Your Bible has been paid for so all you have to do is  pick one out, bring it over and we'll print his name on it."

My Aunt, Julia Hardy Griffin, was a Gold Star Mother of World War II.  This is not good for to be a Gold Star Mother, you must lose a son or daughter in war.  My older cousin, Bennett Griffin, her son, was lost in battle in 1944, possibly in the Battle of the Bulge.  I only knew him through photographs, his ribbons and medals and the grave I visit in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

The Blue Star Mothers is an organization of the mothers of servicemen but it's not restricted just to mothers.  In a official capacity, yes, but there are auxiliary volunteers and young women who help by volunteering time and energy for fund raising efforts.  I help here in the smallest of ways.  I attend their fund raising efforts, breakfast once each month, the exhibit and sales they have at the mall once a month and other small ways.  I photograph events when I can and I share the photographs on Facebook and Flickr.  I also photograph the service men and women and give them or the families portraits when I have made a good one.

But my main contribution is what I do in giving the military Bibles.  Most of the expense has been borne by me, and my wife has helped in contributions as well.  Then we have had a few contributors.  We have not solicited funds with the exception of when I told the Pawhuska Methodist Men's Group that we would accept a donation and they generously provided us with $200.00.  We have one consistent contributor and I do not have permission to publish his name yet.  And, a former marine who is from my home town of Pawhuska contributed $500.00.  With $100.00 we can furnish five Bibles to service men and women.

I had said that our total was about 275 Bibles and I thought that to be correct.  But, alas, my Excel program tells me that we have provided 257 Bibles and our expense for Bibles has been $6,057.24 for Bibles.  Any mailing costs are separate and I absorb those without keeping a record; I just buy a box and pay for mailing and consider it a minor expense.  The Bibles are the main thing.

Along with the Blue Star Mothers, I am the Red Shirt Fridays for our area.  I tell people about Red Shirt Fridays and I  have shirts I have purchased from the Red Shirt group but, so far, I seem to be the only person here who is involved in Red Shirt Fridays.

Our efforts are small and we what we do with our Bible project is small, but it's still something and I'll do it as long as I can.

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

Report on Bibles Delivered Veteran's Day 2011

SFC Nic Ninkovich, United States Army (photograph by Red Boots)

I have failed to write here for some time and so I have not reported.  As of today, 11-11-11, or November 11, 2011, we have given 165 Holman Military Service Branch Bibles.  We have given 101 Bibles to members of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), 39 to soldiers of the United States Army, 16 to sailors of the United States Navy (including my own Sailor's Bible), 4 to members of the United States Air Force, 1 to a Coastguardsman and 4 have gone to police and firemen.  Our cost for this project has been $4,227 for Bibles alone.  We have had associated mailing and packaging expenses also, but I have erred in not keeping detailed records on those expenses.  I think we have done quite a job considering that we are just one person with limited resources but, make no mistake about a man with a mission; it can be done.

We have had $100.00 in donations from other people and I did some work for an old friend, computer and photography, who wanted to pay me.  I could not accept money from her for I owe her and her husband so much for the kindnesses I have received from them over the years.  I owe them for the friendship they have provided me, and for the care for my son.  Their daughter was the first young woman to baby sit for us and they were a comfort to me when I lost my son.  How could I take money from her for something that I love to do?  Then she asked, "Stephen, what about your Bible project?  What if I gave you money for it?"  How could I refuse that, gifts for marines and soldiers?  I couldn't so she bought two Bibles.  The rest has been from my pockets.

I met a man at my favorite restaurant in Tulsa, The Longhorn Steakhouse, and I was wearing a ball cap with "USS Point Defiance (LSD-31)" and a ship logo on it, so, it was natural to talk about our service.  I learned he had been career Army, starting as an enlisted man and becoming an officer and rising to retire as a Lieutenant Colonel.  We exchanged business cards and I mailed him a Soldier's Bible with his name on it.  Sometime later, I received a wonderful letter from him in which he wrote that he would like to contribute, and generously.  I just replied to him and then today, I began a search for an attorney to talk to about setting up a nonprofit organization for this mission.  I have had one conversation with an attorney, one who served in the Marine Corps, and I will likely follow up with him to see if this is something I can do.  Any money I spend on attornies is money not spent on Bibles and I have to focus and remember what our mission is.  "Our mission to give Military Service Branch Bibles, The Marine's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, to the enlisted men and women and officers of the United States Armed Forces, and veterans, to the best of our ability, for as long as we are able."

March 9, 2011, this year, quite obviously, I was invited to the New Soldier's Awards and banquet program which was held in the local American Legion, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  I am a photographer so I took my camera and I took many photographs of the young men and women who were to receive various awards for their accomplishments as new soldiers.  Also, Major Paul Clark was retiring after twenty-five years of service in the United States Army. Major Clark, Sergeant First Class Robert Kowal, and Staff Sergeant Ricky Stewart, the Bartlesville Station Commander presented awards to the individuals.  Major Clark took time to tell the young soldiers and their families his story.  He began as an enlisted soldier, served in his assignments and as he moved along in commands, he began to take college courses.  He told the young soldiers, and old veterans who attended, about his success in college and how it eventually led to his becoming an officer.  He spoke at length about the opportunities he had received from the army and he said that he was the first person in his family to have a college education.  I took photographs of Major Clark and his two sergeants standing in front of the great American flag adorning most of one wall in the American Legion post. 

Coincidentally, the date of this presentation fell on the 50th anniversary of the date upon which I stood, with three other new sailors, raised my right hand and took the oath of enlistment.  It was a somber moment, one filled with both fear and pride, and not a small sense of accomplishment as a navy Captain with four full stripes shook hands with each of us and offered, "Congratulations.  You are now men of the United States Navy."  I was seventeen and by less than a month so anyone using my name and man in the same sentence was bound to impress me as I was still struggling to figure out what I was.  Major Clark and the sergeants knew that the day would be my anniversary and they chose to let me celebrate it with brothers, new brothers, young ones, but brothers by virtue of the oath of enlistment, by virtue of the uniform I had worn, and they one they would soon wear.  Different of course, one a sailor's uniform, one a soldier's uniform, but they represented many of the same things and a common understanding existed among us of what that brotherhood meant.  It meant boot camp, non-commissioned officers, being shouted out, abused--in the name of discipline--long hours, little rest, long lines, eating in mess halls, sleeping with a hundred men in a small room, and pride.

In the end, it is impossible not to feel pride.  There is pride in the uniform, in the colors, in marching, in hearing your song for your service branch, pride in just knowing that you served, that you did your duty, somehow.

That evening, not only did they join me in celebrating that fifty year mark in my life, from seventeen to sixty-seven, but the soldiers gave me an award which I was told each of them had contributed to.  It was a clock contained in a wooden enclosure with a plaque marking not only my service but my Military Service Bible Project. It is a beautiful instrument and I photographed it, that's what we photographers do, photograph, everything and often.  I was both embarrassed and filled with pride.  Embarrassed because I did not feel I had done anything to deserve their reward, filled with pride just because they had given me an award.  I give Bibles, but not with expectation for anything.  When I began I wanted to get others to help and to also give Bibles, and that has happened as people learn from me about the military Bibles.  After I had given about ten, I set a formal goal to give one hundred to the Marine Corps and see where it went from there.  Along the way, I also gave some to soldiers, sailors, airmen and a coast-guards man.  I have kept track of them and we have now given 120 Military Service Bibles; 84 have gone to marines, 19 to soldiers, 10 to sailors and the rest divided up in various ways.  With 84 having gone to marines, 16 more will meet that goal and I will concentrate on the army for a while with a change in my goal.  When will I quit?  I don't think I will. not as long as I am able.  The project has cost me $3,155.64 so far, just in Bibles and I still have shipping costs with some of them, and I don't monitor the shipping, packing and other costs, just the costs of the Bibles.  I shared my numbers with Sergeant Kowal recently; he has become a friend as well as a soldier I know.  Sergeant Kowal digested the figure I had shown him and he said, "That's a lot of money."  And I said, "It's worth it."

I am glad to do it, small as it is, but I feel good about it and I take a lot of pride in doing it.  I am also proud of the gift the soldiers have given me.  It is an honor.

Stephen J. Payne

It seems worthwhile to report every now and then on our progress.  To date, April 25, 2011, we have given 111 Holman Military Branch Bibles.  Eighty of those have been The Marine's Bible with seventeen going to soldier's as The Soldier's Bible and nine going to sailors as The Sailor's Bible.  I have The Sailor's Bible as I was in the United States Navy.  The remaining number given have been to airmen and coast guardsmen.  I am asked about our funding which is easy to explain.  We have none.  I use my personal funds from any earnings I have and from my Social Security income and I generally buy about five bibles each month.  Now and then I receive additional income and with it, first thing before I spend any of it on myself, my family or anything else, I estimate needs and then I buy from five to seven of the bibles.  This is not a fast project but a steady one.  As you can see from those numbers, we generally are able to give about twenty-five to thirty bibles each year.  I give the Marine's Bibles to our local Marine recruiting staff and allow them to offer these bibles to marines going through their command.  Some marines say, "No thank you." and we understand that.  It is just what we offer.  When I know the marine's name, it is printed on the bible.  When I do not know to whom the bible will go, the printing reads "To a Marine."

When I know the soldier or marine, I ask them, "Would you like a bible?" and if he or she says "Yes" then I get the name as they would like it and the store prints the name on the bible.  Within the first few pages of the bible is a page with "Given to:" and "Given by:"  I have completed very few of those and usually only when someone asks me to do so.  I want the gift to be about the bible and not about me or the project.  A few have asked me to write my name for them and I have.  I generally leave those spaces blank so that the recipient feels that the bible is truly his or hers and they can complete it.  In my own Sailor's Bible, I have written my information which includes my name, my enlistment date, training commands and my ship, the USS Point Defiance (LSD-31), my assignments, including the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and information important to me about my life and my family.  I lost my son, Stephen William Payne (1967-2003) to diabetes and his short life is recorded there.

These are fine bibles, compact in size, tough because of the leather cover, and they are special to each serviceman because there is a section in the back filled with information by and about great military leaders of the United States Armed Forces.  These include General George Patton's weather prayer of 1944, thoughts by General Jimmy Stewart, who was also a great American movie actor.

Now and then, someone will hear about us and make a donation of a few bibles.  What they usually do is ask me about the cost and then write a check for the price of two bibles, about $50.00 give or take a few cents.  Actually, today a bible costs me $24.61; if I have to ship it to the soldier, then I am out for the cost of a package and shipping.  I keep track of the costs of bibles, which has now reached $2,936.02.  I have not kept track of any other associated costs.  By mentioning this figure, it is not a complaint.  I receive more joy from this than anyone can imagine, especially now and then when I get to personally see the deep appreciation many of these young men and women offer in return.

A word about the image I chose for this edition.  This is the American flag posted at our local American Legion in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where I attended ceremonies for future soldiers on March 9, 2011.  Coincidentally, that day was the 50th anniversary of the day I enlisted and took the oath of enlistment for the United States Navy.  This is a large flag and it's worn and faded.  It was a wonderful back drop for the ceremonies held that evening and the flag is what it is ultimately all about for any of us who have worn the uniforms of our armed forces.  Many of us notice the flag without looking at it, without seeing it.  In the service it is called colors and the ceremonies we deliver are special.  We have the color guard who carry and present the flag and honor it at all public ceremonies.  Once you have put on the uniform and felt the brotherhood that binds us all, you can never, never see the flag in the same way again.  From that day forward it represents men you have known and shared your life with, and whom you remember and honor as time goes rapidly by and some fall by the way.  It represents commands where you trained or served.  It represents ships in which we served and places where Americans fell and lie there still, a few of them friends of mine from Pawhuska.  The military isn't easy and it isn't perfect, but it's one of the most magnificent clubs we can ever join.  The American flag, Old Glory, and all the names it might be known by, represents the American freedom, which ironically includes the right to burn it in a public place in protest.  To be what it is to us, they must have that right, whether we like it or not.  It gives me the right to offer these bibles to young men and women who wear the uniform and I am forever grateful for that right, honor and privilege.  And you will never, never see me burn or consciously injure the flag of the United States of America. 

Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne

The Soldier's Bible; "He is the People."

Sergeant First Class Robert Kowal, United States Army

Some time after I had begun giving The Marine's Bible directly to the marine recruiters, Sergeant Matthew Ocasio and Gunnery Sergeant Charles Baker, I stopped by to leave five Marine's Bibles and the office was closed.  Next door and slightly to the west was the Army Recruiting Office and I asked the sergeant there if I could leave the bibles with them for the marines.  Sergeant Deberry allowed me to leave them for the marines to pick up and I asked him if he knew about The Soldier's Bible and he told me that he had one he had purchased when he enlisted in the army some years before.  I took one of his calling cards and a little later, I delivered The Soldier's Bible with his name, Kirby Deberry,  imprinted on the cover. I did that without asking him because I knew he had one and liked it a lot.  Sergeant First Class Kowal worked with Deberry under the command of Sergeant Ronald Cains.  When I had a chance, I asked Sergreant Kowal if he would like one of the bibles and he said that he would.  Later, I had the chance to ask Sergeant Cains who also said he would, so soon after Deberry had his bible, I bought The Soldier's Bible for both Kowal and Cains, so I had pretty well supplied the office with them.

Sergeant Cains was approaching retirement and asked me one day if I would complete the section where the names were intended for the giver and the recipient.  Cains said, "Years from now, I'll remember that you gave this to me but I won't remember your name, so please print it for me and then sign it."  I completed that for him and now and then someone asks me to do that.  I don't usually because I am in a rush to get the bible to its owner and I don't want to be presumptuous.  I know that the bible is what is important, not who gave it to the recipient because they don't really know me.  A few do, yes, but most might know who I am or something small about me, but that's all.  We connect only through the recruiter or sometimes a parent, relative or friend of the soldier or soldier to be. 

One lady who heard about our giving bibles to the soldiers asked someone and I got word of her request and I bought a bible for her grandson, who was enlisting soon, and I just happened to deliver it when she was in the beauty shop.  She asked me to thank the people who did this service, and one of the women there turned to her and said, "He is the people who do this." 

I know people know and care about our small program.  Some do not say thanks, and notice that I did not say "do not even say thanks."  Some people are stunned or overwhelmed when a stranger does an act of kindness, any act of kindness, and in their hearts they are saying thank you.  It's just hard for them to say thank you and I understand, so I don't worry about it.

About a week ago, a dear friend gave me $50.00 and told me to use it to buy bibles.  Since he, Warrant Officer William "Bill" Quick, was a soldier, it seemed only right to use his generous donation to buy Soldier's Bibles so I bought two.  One went to Sergeant Curtis Hedspeth, a previously enlisted soldier who was rejoining the army.  He was in the office completing some papers when we gave him The Soldier's Bible.  It was a joy to watch him, as he looked at it, saw his name on the cover, rose from his chair and walked around to where I sat, shook my hand profusely and said a sincere thank you.  I was overjoyed that he was so moved by this simple gesture.  It just makes me feel good when one of the soldiers gives me that kind of reward.

As the lady said, "He is the people who do this."

Stephen Joe Payne

Why is it Called Red Boots?

Like anything, our project needed a name.  We at first considered The Marine's Bible Project, but that was rejected because it was too specific and omitted other branches of the service.  But, we also thought that we might have a Marine's and then a Soldier's and perhaps more, but that became too many isolated projects and because there will always be new marines, new soldiers and sailors, we knew that a single project would never be concluded.

I wear Red Boots and so I have acquired that as a nickname and also a trademark of sorts.  Some people with whom I have interaction don't know my name, or they don't remember it, because they are in public and deal with too many people.  But few forget my Red Boots, so after I give my name and hear "Who?" I will say "Red Boots" and I am usually remembered. from that.  I considered naming the project after my son but he was a musician and far from any association with the military.  In fact, his health would have prevented his enlistment had he wanted to enlist.  My son, Stephen William Payne (1967-2003) was diagnosed with Type I (Juvenile) Diabetes at age fourteen so he had acquired the disease when he was thirteen, and it shaped the rest of his life.

Somehow affixing Red Boots to it became natural to me since often the soldiers and marines also knew me as either Red Boots, The Photographer, or in some cases, just "The old guy."  That's alright as many years separate us, the young soldiers and marines from me.  In fact, March 9, 2011 marked the day, fifty years ago that I stood with my right hand raised before a navy captain and took the oath of enlistment.  I did not remember all of the words, only, "I, Stephen Joe Payne, do solemnly..." and at or near the end, "...so help me God."  I heard "Congratulations men, you are now men of the United States Navy."  At the word men, we must have been looking around to see to whom he was talking for we were boys, seventeen in my case, with the eldest of the group of four only nineteen.  There was a lot of distance then too between seventeen and nineteen.  From my vantage point today, seventeen and twenty-nine are almost the same.

Red Boots makes as much sense to me as almost anything I can think of, so Red Boots it is.  I, and we, are not yet a non-profit organization, nor exactly a charity.  We are just one person with a specific mission, and as a friend told me, an evolving mission.  My mission here is to give Military Branch Service Bibles to the enlisted men and women, and officers, of the United States Armed Forces to the best of my ability for as long as I am able, and if it evolves into an organization that continues to do so, then I will feel blessed for having contributed in a small way to something bigger than I am.

Red Boots it is.

Stephen Joe Payne

How the Project Got Started

 Jacob Fuller, Sergeant, United States Marine Corps in the barbershop getting a haircut.

Christmas 2005, the Young Marine
Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Payne

I wrote that I would tell the story of how the Red Boots' Military Service Branch Bible Project started.  This is the story of the first Marine's Bible purchased and given to a marine.

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Charlotte is a fan of Janet Evanovich who writes the Stephanie Plum detective series and I had learned that Evanovich was going to be in Tulsa, at the Borders Book Store to sign books (and probably sell more). Charlotte was overjoyed but skeptical that she would actually be able to meet the author; too many people, too busy, too much. But I knew it meant a lot to her so I was insistent that she try. I had learned an important lesson from the years that I was single and I phrased it this way: "The girl you don’t ask out isn't going with you anyway."

It was a sure thing that she would not see Janet Evanovich if she didn’t go so, early enough, we loaded up my cameras, lenses, photo lights and all of our Evanovich books (yes, I have some too), and set off for Tulsa. We arrived at Borders very early and yet found many people already waiting, as though they were expecting a rock star. Borders staff had set up a system and when we brought books in that we already owned; the books were labeled with a colored tape and we were assigned to a group. We had to line up then within that group.

This Borders is a two story building and we found ourselves upstairs and far at the back and right next to the section on linguistics which was delightful to me. I love linguistics so I was able to start at the top shelf and work my way slowly down as I pulled out books on the English language, the sounds of the world’s languages, the History of the Spanish Language, morphemes, and the like. I was having a good time.

Fortunately I already had a lot of those books which was keeping me from buying more because I was low on money and, of course, I did have to buy several copies of Janet Evanovich’s newest book; that was unavoidable. As I got to the bottom of the section and I moved to the top shelf next to it, I saw one book that caught my attention, not for me but as a gift for a young man. I did not know him. I had not met him. But I knew that he had just graduated from basic training at Camp Pendleton, California, United States Marine Corps, and was now on his way to sniper school. I didn’t know there was a school for snipers.

The book that I was looking at was The Marine Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible. It was in a box, leather bound and it was sealed and I couldn’t afford it. Yet, I had to see more of it, so I broke the seal and opened the book. I looked at the early pages and saw the standard beginning, like most bibles, and then I went to the index to see why it was a Marine Bible, what was different about it.. In the back were things that were just strictly Marine Corps: Poems written by great marines past, prayers from chaplains and many things specific to the Marine Corps. I put it carefully back into its cellophane wrapper, then back into the box and then back on the shelf, all the time thinking of the young marine.

He was not only a new marine but a new husband. I wished that I could afford it for him. Our line moved slowly and after a bit, we had Janet Evanovich in sight, sitting at a table surrounded by staff and rule keepers: “No more than four books per person, please stay within your color coded group, have your tag ready with your name and what you want Janet to write, tags sticking out one inch.” We were closer then, just a few more feet and…I went back for the Bible.

I couldn’t afford it but I was going to get it, somehow. It didn’t cost much but I had already made my commitment in other books and expenses and just didn’t have much left over and we had yet to have dinner. I took photographs of Charlotte and Janet Evanovich and I gave Evanovich a copy of a piece that I had written, A Son’s Farewell.

I found some way to buy the Marine's Bible and the next day, I took it to his aunt who got it to him just before he finished Sniper School and was sent to Iraq . Now and then I would get reports on him and his progress. He would call into the shop and he always mentioned the Bible and his aunt would tell me about it. Then he was home from Iraq and Bartlesville, Oklahoma had signs up, "Welcome Home Lance Corporal Jacob Fuller," and he was celebrated. Still, I never got to meet him.

His aunt told me that he was here for Christmas but that he had to work at the Marine Recruiting Office as part of his price for being here. I went there on Thursday, December 29th and another Marine told me that I had just missed him but, try again tomorrow. Friday, I returned and the other young Marine told me that I had just missed him as he had left for lunch, but he had gone to the Subway and I might catch him there.

I walked up to the young man that I knew from a photograph and said, softly “Jacob?” He looked at me, puzzled, his brow furrowed and I asked “Jacob Fuller?” “Yes,” he said, “I am Jacob.”

“I gave you the Marine's Bible.” I told him.

He sat his drink and his sandwich down on the counter, turned to me and he put his hand out to shake my hand and then he stepped forward, put his arms around my shoulder and pulled me to him in a Marine hug, a tear forming in his eye. Something was in my eye too. That made my Christmas 2005.


It also made the beginning of my mission to give these bibles to servicemen and service women.

Stephen Joe Payne

"To a Marine"

When I purchase the bibles, from Living Word in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, they are enclosed inside of a cellophane wrapper inside of a nice cardboard box  The store imprints the cover with someone's name or whatever is wanted, as long as there is enough space.  For example, the Bible I bought for President Barrack Obama did not have adequate room for the "President Barack Obama" so we went with just "President Obama." 

The first time, when the young sales lady offered this, I declined, not because I did not think it was good, but because I did not know the name of the marine to whom the bible was going to be given. But I thought for a moment and then I had it imprinted with "To a Marine." All of them have been so imprinted, if I did not know the marine's name, with the exception of my own Sailor's Bible, which I bought several years ago.  I later asked them to print my name on it and since I bought it from them, they willingly did so. I bought a Sailor's Bible for my friend Jim Mosley and his name is imprinted.

Staff Sergeant Ocasio told me that he had given one of the bibles we had stocked to a new marine recruit who did not have much of a family support system and the young man held it in his hand, paused, looking at it, thankful for someone having given it to him, as though no one had ever given him anything.  He was awed, and thankful, and I was rewarded for I felt my small effort was worthwhile. There are many things to be done in the world and none of us can do all of them; each one of us can do something. It is a choice we make, what we do; it is a gift, what we can do. I am just fortunate that I can do this small thing. It is what I choose to do.

Stephen Joe Payne

We Give Military Branch Service Bibles

This is a photographic image of my calling card for this project.  It is fairly clear with the title of "Red Boots Military Service Branch Bible Project" and the statement of "We give Holman Military Service Branch Bibles to Veterans."  We do not limit it to veterans, and in fact, put the active service personnel ahead of veterans but we don't exclude anyone who served.  The photograph on the card is of a Marine's Bible but they are also available in these versions:  The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, and The Coastguardman's Bible."  And, there are versions for The Fireman's and the Policeman's Bible.  I fear some, when they do not have time to talk with me and learn what I am doing, may think I am a bible salesman or pushing a religion.  I am not.  I am interested only in giving these bibles to those active and veteran service women and men who want one. 

I have the Sailor's Bible, with my name on the cover, and inside in the first few pages where there are several places for it, is written my service record, from enlistment, boot camp, Radar "A" School, my service aboard The USS Point Defiance (LSD-31) until my discharge, my graduation from high school, marriage, birth and death records for my son Stephen William Payne (1967-2003) and a few of the missions on which I served.

Let me reiterate, I am not a bible salesman.  I learned about the Marine's Bible quite by accident and then almost the same way, I learned about the other bibles in the series.  I set a goal to give one hundred (100) of the Marine's Bible to marines.  Since then, I have successfully give eighty of them to marines.  I have also given thirty bibles to other servicemen and service women; the bulk of those have been The Soldier's Bible with a few of them The Sailor's Bible, one The Airman's Bible and one The Coastguardman's Bible.

When I know of someone who is active military or a veteran, or a parent of one, I ask if they want a bible, frequently showing my Sailor's Bible to them so that they understand what I am talking about, and I do not talk of religion with them.  If they say, "Yes" then I ask his or her name, and Melvin prints the name on the bible.  For example, Sergeant First Class Robert Kowal has a Soldier's Bible with just his name, "Robert Kowal" on the cover of the bible.  His bible has an army green cover with the Army Seal on it as well.

This monograph is printed on the back of my calling card:

"My project is to give Holman Military Branch bibles to our military and veterans.  I pay for them from my earnings and Social Security income so I can buy them only when I have funds.  I give about 25 bibles a year.  They are the Marine's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, etc.  I began my project in 2005 and as of January 2011, we have donated 100 military service branch bibles.  Seventy-five of them have been the Marine's Bible."

The statement is true but the number of bibles now given is 110 as of March 25, 2011.

Stephen Joe Payne

Giving Bibles to United States Armed Forces Service People

It is a long story of how I got started with this project, and I'll tell it later in another posting, but for now, I'll just describe the project.  I learned about these bibles, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), quite by accident, and I gave the first one to a young marine who was headed for Iraq and combat soon.  I gave him the Marine's Bible, which is seen in this image.  I learned that this bible was offered in versions of The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, The Coastguardman's Bible, and of course, The Marine's Bible.  Of course, for a time, I knew only of The Marine's Bible.  The photograph is of my bible and I was not a marine; I was a sailor in the United States Navy so I have a Sailor's Bible with my name on it.  I use this copy of The Marine's Bible for demonstration, and show and tell purposes.  The bible I gave to the young marine went to Iraq with him where he used it in his own readings and in offering prayer services to his fellow marines.  He carried it constantly in his fatigues, in a large pocket, and it returned with him, safely, but with considerable wear, sweat and blood stains, and many worn pages.

That's what we intended it for.

I have since provided him with a second bible with his name on the cover.  This is a tough bible; it has a leather cover with a tab enclosure and an attached leather book mark.  In the back are prayers offered by celebrated military leaders:  General George S. Patton, General Jimmy Stewart (the actor), Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and others.  It contains the oath of enlistment, service prayers and important tools for the serviceman, sailor, soldier, or marine.  The marines I have given it to love it, and they are happy to have it.

I had given one or two to marines I knew and then it struck me to give it to as many as I can.  I dreamed of sending 1,000 Marine's Bibles to the marines in Iraq and I contacted one or two churches, which expressed interest and a small measure of support but then posed the question:  Could we do it?  I contacted the Chaplain's Office in Washington, D.C. and found out how difficult this would be to do.  Mildly daunted but not defeated, I rethought what I was trying to do, what I could do, and I changed my mission.  I set a goal to somehow give 100 of the Marine's Bible to marines.  I went to the local recruiting office, met the recruiter and told him of my goal and soon I was giving these bibles to marines locally.  If I know the name of the marine it is going to, then the name is printed on the front.  If I don't, the then Bible cover simply reads "To a Marine."  I leave it to the recruiters to give the bibles to whom they wish and let them decide how to do it.  I don't know how many of the young marines know where the bible gifts originate; it's not important.  The important thing is that the marine has his own, personalized Marine's Bible.

Stephen Joe Payne